Attaching cable lugs

Stan in Oly, WA

Well-known Member
While replacing some welding cables a few days ago, I found that I didn't have a way to crimp cable lugs onto the cable I was using. It isn't something I expect to do enough to justify the purchase of a dedicated crimping tool, but I know from prior experience that tying to do it with channel locks or some other non-specialty tool doesn't result in a sound crimp. How would it work to drill a hole in 1/2" plate, slightly smaller in diameter than the cup of the cable lug, saw it in half, and use the two pieces to swage the lug onto the cable?

If this sounds like making too much effort just to avoid a modest tool purchase, I'll mention that I'm sometimes without a project on a Saturday morning while I'm overseeing the metal arts studio at the community college. I could probably even do a fancy job of it.

Stan
 
Stan , What you said would work great if you could crush your die in a hydraulic press. A truck shop that makes battery cables could do it for you also.The electricians tool to do that uses dies in a hex shape and is hydraulic.Any industrial electrician could make the crimp for you .
 
I would have to believe this would work, a fun challenge too, and very satisfying when accomplished. I often think in similar terms. I've made my own crimp on fittings for heavier cable/lead of similar type, like battery cables etc. cut from copper pipe or similar materials. This is where ones stash of old items with good materials really shines. Forget what I used to crimp, had some old jumper cables to make leads out of, worked well though for the starting engine leads on my old D7 Cat. I'd probably try what you describe and see if I could rig my log splitter for a press, just have to watch the speed though, but with the open center valve recently cleaned and polished inside, it does work gently with very slow movement of the lever.
 
Do a little searching and you can find manual crimpers for less than $100. DelCity has one that crimps using a wrench/ratchet to turn a threaded assembly, and it's only $80 and change, as opposed to some of them that are nearly $200. They are always a good thing to have as they allow you to put the ends back on battery cables correctly rather than using the 'emergency' ones that bolt on and tend to cause problems later on. In other words, it's well worth the $80 to get a tool that will save you money in the long run by allowing you to do crimps/jobs the right way.
DelCity
 
I soldered mine on, and has been working just fine. Had to make up a couple new cables for my tombstone welder a few years back, and did the same to make up some nice battery cables for a diesel tractor and used the bolt on battery cable clamps, which makes it easy to swap ends and save the cable.
 
As Dr Sportster said, you'd probably be better off if you could make a hex hole. The semicircle would tend to just shear off the edges of the lug and you wouldn't get any crimping action on the part of the lug adjacent to the seam between the die halves, while a hex die would cause the material of the lug to flow instead of shear off, thus crimping the "sides" of the crimp as well as the "top" and "bottom".
 
I used to make foot long cables to connect scissor lift batteries , a dozen at a time. My Columbian vise has a little trough between the stationary jaw and the square anvil surface . I put the lug and cable in that spot , then using an old chisel that I dulled with a round surface , I give it a couple strong hits with a big hammer , The swedged lug looks perfect !
 
I have had pretty good success with sawing a hex nut in half and using it as a die and a center punch to crimp the wires in the terminal.
 
If you have any electrician friends you can get it done for not much more than a thank you. They have cable crimping tools of all sizes.
 
Stan

I use the same basic idea.

It seems to work better if you drill your hole to the diameter that you want the crimp to finish at. Then drill in from each side at the outside diameter of your lug so you end up with a ridge inside your die of the width you want for the crimp.

Then do several crimps - and doesn't hurt to finish with solder.
 
Over the years I have done it many ways. When I worked at tracker marine we had a tool that we used to do it which had a part the held it sort of an anvale (sp) and then had a round tipped cheshel sort of thing to do that job. I now own vise grips that do it for me. Got luck to find a set in a box of junk stuff I got at an auction years ago
 
Harbor Freight AKA China Freight has a hydraulic crimping hand tool that has many size dies and does a good job of crimping cable ends.
 

The proper wire for the load with the proper crimp will survive as long are longer than a solder connection...

Folks can solder all they want to somewhere in the link it will have a push connector are a bolt/s crew you will never defeat the weak link other than it may make you feel good... As long as your crimp is not the weak link it will out live the rest of the system...
 
Wow, I guess I have been doing it wrong for 40 years, copper lugs I just wack em with a big hammer JBDyer
 
Hello Stan in Oly. wA,
Just take a nut of the proper size, and cut it point to point. Use vise to squize. It works for me. Proper way is : squire, solder,and shrink wrap.......

Guido.
 
Hello Stan in Oly, WA,

Finger error! I was on my mobile unit. It should read squeeze, solder , shrink wrap! Look at the split nut. Makes an excellent crimper. Just cut the nut edge to edge, not on the flat. That way the flat sides of the nut will be in the vice when you squeeze, ............. Works for me,


Guido.
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My local NAPA store does crimps on cable. I have my own in a few styles. Soldering without crimping first is a mistake, if it gets hot it can fall apart and short out.
 

The proper wire for the load with the proper crimp will survive as long are longer than a solder connection... 99% of what I do gets the proper crimp on the others were the load is greater than the wire are connector can bare are its just a pizz poor mess it get's solder... Any thing else is just a feel good repair... Sometimes I solder just to feel good...
 
I would agree Hobo , solder is good especially when there is a possibility of high water intrusion but it actually causes a line of weakness at the solder edge . This point , at which the solder ends and bare cable begins will snap prematurely when subjected to vibration . A fixed installation would pose no problem but use on tractors , autos and other vibrating machines will probably cause grief .

I think the split nut idea is ideal , I have a few small bolt cutters that have seen their day , their blades will not meet and parts are not available . I am now going to see if I can weld some hard split nuts into the worn blades . I occasionally crimp some small stainless balustrade cable and can see this as a real benefit to the workshop .
 

I've seen that when I worked at a telephone company facility and they ran "grounds" from the basement to the switching room. Main ground was at least 1.5" dia stranded (not sure what AWG that is), strands were about 10AWG. They placed a smaller gage (about 1"dia) right next to this main "ground" and hydraulically squeezed the two together. The smaller cable was for equipment in the room. It fused into 1 piece of copper at the "splice".
 

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